I’ve just officially launched my Cruise Musician Accelerator program 🎶 and my brand-new website is now live! This is a 3-month program designed for solo musicians who are ready to take their career international, get cruise-ship ready, and finally land stable, well-paid opportunities doing what they love. 👉 Along with the launch, I’m also opening spots for a free clarity call. On this call, we’ll work together to: - Identify what would make you stand out to agencies (so your application doesn’t get lost among dozens of others). - Pinpoint your very first step toward landing international contracts. I’m so excited to share this with you and to help more musicians build a career where they can earn well, travel the world, and be recognized for their talent. ➡️ Feel free to check out the website here: https://theinternationalmusician.com/ ➡️ Or book your free clarity call here: https://calendly.com/lara-bruyelles/clarity-call Let’s get you cruise-ship ready! 🚢✨

Around this exact time, four years ago, I came across a random Facebook ad. An agent was offering a piano vocalist contract on a cruise ship. I was struggling financially. I was trying to find gigs, teaching piano (and honestly hating it), and I remember thinking: “Why not? Maybe this could be my way to finally feel like a professional musician — get experience, save money, and find the peace of mind I’d been craving.” The agent told me I needed 150 songs. At the time I only had 40. So I worked 6–8 hours a day, every day, for three weeks straight. I was exhausted. I wasn’t even sure I’d get the contract. And back then, there wasn’t much information about cruise ship life — I was scared of the unknown. But I did it. I built my repertoire, made my video, and as soon as I was ready, I got my first contract. Looking back now, that decision changed my life. Those 150 songs soon became 450, and along the way I: 🎶 Gained incredible musical experience 💶 Saved tens of thousands of euros from contracts 🌍 Met amazing people and built friendships around the world 🚢 Visited hundreds of places — all while being paid to do what I love Now I’m at a different chapter: helping other musicians on their own journey, whatever success looks like for them. But looking back, I’m deeply grateful I took that leap. It was terrifying and uncertain at the time, but it gave me everything I needed to build the life I have now. 👉 If you’re at the start of your journey, just know: the hard work does pay off, even if it feels impossible in the moment. ✨ By the way — in 3 hours from now we’re having our first Community Call! I’d love to see you there, with or without your camera. You’ll find the link in the event on Skool.

Curious, do you need to be an entertainer? I have experience playing at Michelin starred restaurants playing calm cinematic background music. Do agencies respond to that?

I’m so grateful to have such talented musicians here who have already worked on cruise ships: @Allan Lewis @Emilie Rose @James Cole @Bruno Muringa @Wallie Lewis @Ryan North @Jon Williams @Ricardo Toribio @Terrick King @Fred Rubin @Petros Palaskas @Luis Diaz @Olivier Turner @Ashley Hinds @Oleksandr Marusiak @Marcos Tapajóz 👉 Please feel free to introduce yourselves in the comments: - What ships you’ve worked on - What you’re looking to get out of this community - And anything else you’d love to share! (And if I’ve forgotten anyone who has already worked on cruise ships, please let me know so I can add you here 🙏). ✨ I’ve been trying to find a way to give you points and a special badge in Skool, but it seems this feature isn’t available yet. In the meantime, you are more than welcome to share your experience and help aspiring musicians here if you’d like to. I’d also love for this community to be valuable for you. Please let me know in the comments what kind of support you’d like to see here — for example: - Support calls during or between contracts (for mental health, life onboard, etc.) - Strategies to rebook contracts or negotiate higher salaries - Moving from a band role to a solo position - Planning your next step: whether to keep working ships or reorient back on land - How to transition smoothly once contracts end I’m also working on bringing in guest entertainers and agents for Q&As. That might not happen straight away, but it’s definitely in the plan so you can also gain value from this community, beyond sharing your own experience.